Russia to pause strikes against Kyiv amid Ukraine talks

Moscow: Russia will pause strikes against Kyiv for three days, the Kremlin said on Saturday, coinciding with peace negoatiations led by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.Russian President Vladimir Putin “has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmirty Peskov told state media. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy already committed to pausing airstrikes for the talks.“As with previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are concerned about their safety, not about Russia,” Zelenskyy said.Kushner, Witkoff arrive in MoscowThe US envoys Kushner and Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Saturday. They were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump said he was sending his son-in-law Kushner and businessman Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the conflict.“They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters Friday when asked about the pair’s trip. Kushner and Witkoff have served as Trump’s envoys to lead peace efforts in the Middle East as well as Ukraine.The US president did not provide any details on the potential plan, including whether it involved Ukraine giving territory to Russia as he has previously suggested. Instead, he said, “We have an idea for peace.”Drone strikes continueMeanwhile, a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine’s domestic security service (SBU) in Kyiv on Friday.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the strike “a major escalation” of the war.“Moscow launched this strike during a renewed push for peace — laying bare its true rejection of diplomacy,” he wrote on X.Zelenskyy said he ordered “an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike.”Ukraine has also launched repeated drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and the retail giant Wildberries.